Contractors’ Association announces March 6 protest over ₹37,000 crore pending bills

Tumakuru : Escalating its confrontation with the state government over long-pending payments, the Karnataka State Contractors’ Association has announced a massive protest in Bengaluru on March 6, alleging that nearly ₹37,000 crore in bills remain unpaid across multiple departments.

Addressing a press conference at a private hotel in Tumakuru, State President Manjunath said contractors have been pushed to the brink due to mounting dues over the past three years.

He claimed that despite repeated representations to the government, there has been no meaningful response or dialogue to resolve the crisis.

“Several departments continue to operate under a package system, but contractors’ grievances are not being addressed. We have sought appointments and submitted memorandums multiple times, yet the government has not even called us for a discussion out of courtesy,” he alleged.

The association said contractors are also grappling with GST liabilities and other financial pressures, and even meetings with the Chief Minister have not yielded solutions. As a result, around 15,000 contractors are expected to gather at Freedom Park in Bengaluru for a one-day peaceful protest.

Providing a department-wise breakup of pending dues, the association claimed that the Public Works Department (PWD) alone owes ₹8,370.76 crore, while the Major Irrigation Department has pending bills of ₹13,000 crore.

The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department allegedly owes ₹3,800 crore, and the Minor Irrigation Department ₹3,000 crore. Further, the Urban Development Department has dues of ₹2,000 crore, the Housing Department ₹2,600 crore, the Works Department ₹2,000 crore, and the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) ₹2,600 crore.

In total, the pending amount across departments stands at ₹37,370.76 crore, the association claimed. Leaders alleged that the financial distress has driven several contractors to extreme steps, claiming that 16 contractors have died by suicide and hundreds more have abandoned their homes due to mounting debt.

The association warned that while the March 6 protest will be peaceful, it may intensify the agitation if the government fails to respond. Tumakuru District Contractors’ Association President Balaramayya and other state and district office-bearers were present at the press meet.

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